Report by Maciej Broniarz, VEKN National Coordinator of Poland:

On Thursday, September 26, 47 players turned up for the third EC Week of Nightmares tournament in Warsaw, Poland. Yet again, the event was held at the friendly H.4.0.S. gaming bar in the centre of Warsaw. The venue served drinks with VTES-themed names, such as Taste of Vitae and The Bitter and Sweet Story.

Also, Nowy again took his time to scout out the event’s decks for you:

3x Ministry
6x Tzimisce V5
1x Tzimisce Sabbat Edition
1x Mistress Fanchon
1x Ravnos Laibon Carnival
1x True Brujah
1x Tremere & Gargoyles with Raw Recruitment
2x Ghede
2x Banu Haqim
1x Almost Perfect Lucian
3x Toreador V5
3x Ravnos V5
2x Erlik
1x Gangrel V5
1x Lutz
1x Barons Obfuscate
1x Assamites Web Recruit
1x Antonio & Nephandi
1x Arika
1x Mata Hari Inside Dirt
2x Guillaume
1x Salubri V5
5x Brujah V5
1x Rachel Brandywine
1x Demented Malkavians and friends
1x Carna & Antonio Nephandi
1x Samedi Mambo Jeanne
1x Infernal Helena

Standings after two rounds:
1. Tero Aalto 2 GW 7.5 VP
2. Sélim Ammouche 2 GW 6.5 VP
3. Nemanja Jovicic 1 GW 6 VP
4. Jozef Patrnciak 1 GW 5 VP
5. Magnus Söder 1 GW 5 VP

Final seating: Nemanja Jovicic (Tzimisce V5) -> Magnus Söder (Ravnos Laibon Carnival) -> Jozef Patrnciak (Carna & Antonio Nephandus) -> Tero Aalto (Tzimisce V5) -> Sélim Ammouche (Guillaume Obtenebration special)

The final timed out with all the players getting 0.5 VP, thus granting a win to Tero Alto of Finland with the highest standing. Congratulations!

Tero Alto’s tournament winning deck: “Radical Leftist”
“2 GW 7,5 + 0,5 in the final. Considering that this team of small incompetent Stanislavas is my freshest new TWD entry since the first The Unnamed win back in 2019, it was beyond high time to turn a new page. The deck is atypical to me in several ways, including not having a star vampire, nor any 10/11-caps. Then again, there are familiar traits, too, such as great combat defence and lunge potential. 5/5 would play again.”

Crypt (12 cards)
3x Adrino Manauara 8 ANI DOM PRO pot baron Tzimisce:6
3x Ángel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
2x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x Clara Hjortshøj 5 PRO ani aus dom Tzimisce:6
1x Kuyén 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Marialena 5 DOM PRO ani Tzimisce:6

Library (77 cards)
Master (14; 4 trifle)
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
2x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Papillon
4x Villein

Event (1)
1x Scourge of the Enochians

Action (10)
10x Govern the Unaligned

Political Action (2)
2x Eat the Rich

Equipment (2)
2x Heart of Nizchetus

Action Modifier (7)
3x Conditioning
4x Earth Control

Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat

Combat (16)
2x Donnybrook
7x Earth Meld
7x Form of Mist

Reaction (21)
5x Bait and Switch
3x Deep Ecology
3x Deflection
2x On the Qui Vive
8x Organized Resistance


Other finalists’ decks:

“Guillaume the Realtor” by Sélim Ammouche (based of Gilles Molina's list)

Crypt (12 cards)
5x Guillaume Giovanni 9 CEL DOM NEC POT obt Giovanni:4
2x Sennadurek 6 AUS NEC dom Nagaraja:4
1x Raphaela Giovanni 6 DOM NEC pot pre Giovanni:4
1x Gianmaria Giovanni 5 POT dom nec obt Giovanni:5
1x Kay Polerno 4 dom nec pro Giovanni:5
1x Primo Giovanni 4 dom nec pot Giovanni:4
1x Cristobal Ghiberti 2 nec Giovanni:4

Library (90 cards)
Master (31; 6 trifle)
1x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Barrens, The
1x Charisma
1x Creepshow Casino
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dis Pater
1x Dummy Corporation
1x Filchware's Pawn Shop
1x Giant's Blood
1x Information Highway
1x Jake Washington
1x Line, The
1x Metro Underground
1x Monastery of Shadows
1x Morgue Hunting Ground
5x Parthenon, The
2x Perfectionist
1x Powerbase: Cape Verde
1x Powerbase: Savannah
1x Secure Haven
1x Therbold Realty
4x Vessel
1x Wider View

Event (2)
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
1x Unmasking, The

Action (14)
1x Dominate Kine
1x Far Mastery
9x Govern the Unaligned
3x Sudario Refraction

Ally (11)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
1x Mylan Horseed
8x Nocturn
1x Tye Cooper

Equipment (1)
1x Gran Madre di Dio, Italy

Action Modifier (15)
2x Bonding
5x Call of the Hungry Dead
3x Conditioning
1x Foreshadowing Destruction
1x Seduction
3x Shroud of Absence

Action Modifier/Reaction (3)
3x Spectral Divination

Reaction (13)
7x Deflection
3x Delaying Tactics
3x On the Qui Vive


“Graveyard Shift” by Nemanja Jovicic

Crypt (12 cards)
4x Adrino Manauara 8 ANI DOM PRO pot baron Tzimisce:6
3x Ãngel Guerrero 7 ANI DOM PRO baron Tzimisce:6
1x Branimira 6 ANI dom pre pro baron Tzimisce:6
1x KuyÃn 6 ANI PRO baron Gangrel:6
1x Clara Hjortshøj 5 PRO ani aus dom Tzimisce:6
1x Kamile Paukstys 5 PRO ani for Gangrel:6
1x Prentis Derby 4 ani dom pro Tzimisce:6

Library (80 cards)
Master (15; 6 trifle)
1x Anarch Railroad
1x Carfax Abbey
1x Direct Intervention
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Garibaldi-Meucci Museum
1x Giant's Blood
1x Library Hunting Ground
1x Powerbase: Montreal
4x Vessel
2x Wider View

Action (15)
5x Deep Song
10x Govern the Unaligned

Action Modifier (8)
4x Conditioning
4x Earth Control

Action Modifier/Reaction (4)
4x Form of the Bat

Combat (18)
2x Claws of the Dead
9x Earth Meld
7x Form of Mist

Reaction (20)
4x Bait and Switch
4x Deep Ecology
4x Deflection
6x Organized Resistance
2x Protection Racket

“Physics of a Clown Car” by Magnus Söder
“U know what it does.”

Crypt (12 cards)
1x Andrei Puxon 5 ani cel chi for Ravnos:2
1x Ghivran Dalaal, The Dead God 5 FOR ani aus chi Ravnos:2
1x Khalil Ravana 5 CHI ani for pre Ravnos:2
1x Anka, Priestess of Thorns 4 ani chi pro Ravnos:2
1x Salbatore Bokkengro 4 CHI for pro Ravnos:2
1x Sennuwy, The Promoter 4 ani chi for Ravnos:2
1x Ashlesha 3 aus chi Ravnos:2
1x Lázár Dobrescu 3 for Ravnos:2
1x Vedel Esbreno 3 chi for Ravnos:2
1x Sasha Miklos 2 chi Ravnos:2
1x Spleen, Georgio Gutterpunk 2 ani chi Ravnos:2
1x Zip 2 ani Ravnos:3

Library (60 cards)
Master (8)
1x Life Boon
6x Ravnos Carnival
1x Week of Nightmares

Event (2)
2x Uncoiling, The

Action (31)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
20x Embrace, The
10x Mozambique Allure

Political Action (8)
1x Autarkis Persecution
7x Consanguineous Boon

Action Modifier (2)
2x Daring the Dawn

Action Modifier/Reaction (9)
9x Eldest Are Kholo, The


“Discount Mafia” by Jozef Patrnciak

Crypt (12 cards)
3x Carna, The Princess Witch 7 AUS DOM THA primogen Tremere:3
1x Muhsin Samir 6 DOM THA aus pot Tremere:4
5x Antonio d'Erlette 5 THA dom for pot Tremere antitribu:4
1x Andrew Stuart 5 AUS DOM THA Tremere:4
2x Anarch Convert 1 Caitiff:any

Library (86 cards)
Master (27; 6 trifle)
1x Academic Hunting Ground
2x Anarch Troublemaker
1x Arcane Library
6x Ashur Tablets
1x Direct Intervention
1x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Information Highway
1x Liquidation
3x Parthenon, The
1x Powerbase: Montreal
2x Shard, London, The
1x University Hunting Ground
3x Vessel
1x Wash
2x Wider View

Event (3)
1x FBI Special Affairs Division
2x Unmasking, The

Action (6)
6x Magic of the Smith

Ally (12)
1x Carlton Van Wyk
9x Nephandus
1x Ponticulus
1x Vagabond Mystic

Equipment (5)
1x Bowl of Convergence
1x Heart of Nizchetus
1x Ivory Bow
2x Sniper Rifle

Action Modifier (12)
2x Empowering the Puppet King
2x Foreshadowing Destruction
8x Mirror Walk

Reaction (21)
6x Deflection
5x Delaying Tactics
3x Eyes of Argus
2x My Enemy's Enemy
3x On the Qui Vive
2x Telepathic Misdirection

Thanks to all players, sponsors and organisers!

Art for Ominous Chorus by Anastasiia Horbunova.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF VAMPIRE: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE CONTINUES

Yes, the celebration continues in various ways:

• Special content in all channels! This includes artist interviews, special articles and glimpses into the history of this great game will appear in VTES, VEKN and BCP sites and channels for the rest of the year. One such glimpse is this incredibly ancient VTES EC final video (also at the BCP Youtube channel), now published after many years of being hidden to mortal eyes. Maybe you can spot some familiar faces!

• Events are being held! We have already seen several physical celebrations, including the gorgeous Italian cake and release parties for the 30th Annivesary deck all over the world. The European Championship coming up in Warsaw, Poland on September will also have some special surprises that you don´t want to miss!

• New cards are being produced! Not only the 30th Anniversary deck! Right now cards from the Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck are being previewed, so make sure to follow Black Chantry in social media or at least peek into the Lasombra product page now and then. Some fresh spoilers:

For Araceli “Celia” Rivera we once again thank Ken Meyer Jr for joining the artist team behind a new set of VTES cards – poignant illustrations in his own style as usual. You find Celia in the Fifth Edition Chicago by Night book.

For Ominous Chorus we thank Anastasiia Horbunova for the creepy art. Last up was Camarilla's Iron Fist, now she is really hitting it again. Note that this card is a clan card, thus playable by any Lasombra regardless of capacity and disciplines, even little Celia can do it. And its both an action modifier and a reaction!

More previews are coming - follow Black Chantry Productions in social media.

GET YOUR EC 2024 TICKETS!

If you haven´t already, get your tickets for the European Championship in Warsaw, Poland before September 11. As mentioned before, all involved parties will make this event something really special!

Now we also know more about the "Week of Nightmares" pre-tournaments:
Location: Hackroom122, Chmielna 122/113 Warsaw (but might be moved to another location in case of high attendance)
Fee: 25 euro for all 3 days, snacks and promos included.
• Tuesday 24 September 3R+F Standard Constructed format
• Wednesday 25 September 3R+F Standard Constructed format  
• Thursday 26 September 2R+F Standard Constructed format

The main events:
Location: Athaneum Theatre, Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 35, Warsaw
Fee: 76 euro all 3 days - gives you the VTES EC 2024 t-shirt, VTES EC 2024 Edge Token, lunch, drinks and snacks each day, plus promo cards.
• Friday 27 September Continental Qualifier 3R+F Standard Constructed format
• Saturday 28 September European Championship Day 1 3R+F Standard Constructed format
• Sunday 29 September European Championship Day 2 3R+F Standard Constructed format
• Sunday 29 September "Best of the Rest" 3R+F Standard Constructed format

Tickets are at ec.vtes.club/

More info is at tinyurl.com/vtes2024

KELLY LYONS WINS GRAND PRIX GULFPORT/BILOXI 2024!

The main event was played with 25 players on August 24 in Gulfport, Mississippi, USA.

Read the full report: Grand Prix Gulfport/Biloxi 2024

LOTTE SIEBERT IS THE 2024 CHAMPION OF IRELAND!

The champion defends her belt! This tournament was played with 10 players in Galway on August 17.

Read the full report: Ireland National championship 2024

PIERES O´SHEA WINS THE VICS 2024!

This is not a high level tournament like the ones we normally mention here, but we want to include it as an example of a smaller event with a nicely written report.

Read the full report: The Vics 2024

 
MARTIN MEZZABOTTA WINS CLOCKWORK CONVERGENCE!

This is not a high level tournament, but we want to include it here anyway as an example of a limited format event with a nice report by Skye Segal, VEKN Prince of Cape Town, South Africa. It was played on August 10 (preliminaries) and 11 (final).

Read the full report: Clockwork Convergence at Dragonfire 2024

RULES EXPLAINED: POLLING AND BIDDING

Some words from Rules Director Vincent Ripoll:

VTES uses a system called “sequencing” to determine who has the “impulse” (opportunity) to play cards and use effects at a given time. There are however two mechanisms that do not follow the sequencing rule: polling and bidding.

During the polling step of a referendum (either caused by a political action or a blood hunt), Methuselahs can cast votes and ballots using the sources they have under their control (titled vampires, cards in play, the Edge, or the political action card used to call the referendum or one they want to discard for a vote) in a free-for-all fashion. Using cards or effects still follow the sequencing rules, so if the acting Methuselah wants to play Bribes to gain 1 pool immediately for instance, they can do so before another Methuselah has the opportunity to play a Delaying Tactics. Similarly, if a Methuselah wants to play a Scalpel Tongue to cancel the votes of a vampire, or use the Ventrue Headquarters to gain 3 votes, they must follow the sequencing rules (by simply asking the other Methuselahs that should have the impulse beforehand if they pass), even though in practice it is seamless. Following the sequencing rules allow to resolve race conditions such as two Methuselahs willing to get Mustafa, The Heir's votes.

The polling step ends when Methuselahs are finished casting votes and ballots. This means that Methuselahs always have a final opportunity to play effects using the sequencing rule even if they've previously passed the impulse.

Bidding is used with some cards such as Hostile Takeover. It follows a standard system of an open bid (as in real life), meaning that any Methuselah may bid at any time, without following any order. The acting Methuselah runs the auction but has no privilege in doing so (they can't alter the outcome of the auction, except by bidding themselves, of course). If there is a race condition (two or more Methuselahs bidding simultaneously the same amount) that can't be untied, then that bid is ignored (as there is no way to know who auctioned first) and the action continues (resulting eventually in another race).

 
BRAZIL NOW HAS MORE METHUSELAHS THAN SPAIN!

Brazil now is the country with the largest number of active VTES players. With "active player" we mean someone that has played a VEKN registered tournament the last 18 months. Here´s the top 20 nations:

... and some historical data for worldwide players:

Do you need help organizing tournaments? Reach out to your VEKN National Coordinator or to !

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: AUGUST 2024

• Preview season of the Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck set for October release is ongoing. If all goes well those of you that visit the Spiel game fair in Essen, Germany will be able to get your copies there.

• Product Director Ben Peal is currently in Brazil visiting the South American Continental Championship. Last thing we heard was he won a casual table with a Nosferatu Molly MacDonald deck :)

• Before travelling, Ben sent a MASSIVE bunch of cards for playtesting. It was no less than 97 new cards for the four 2025 Sabbat preconstructed decks that went for a first round of testing. The first opinions voiced as usual range from "meh" to "way too pushed", but we´ll see, it is the grade statistics and the formal comments that count!

• The (hopefully) last round of playtesting of the Hecata preconstructed deck as well as the five 54-card New Blood packs for Hecata, Lasombra, Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce concluded on August 31. Now the answers from the playtesters will be analysed and the last tweaks will be made.

• More old legacy single cards for print-on-demand and the 2-player VTES variant are on hold for now.

Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucards.com and other stores:

• Lost Kindred bundle
  Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1
  Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2
  Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1
  Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2
  Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Anthology I bundle
  VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
  25th Anniversary
  First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
  VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
  Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
  Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
  Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
  Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
  VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
  VTES card sleeves
  Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
  Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
  Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
  Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Echoes of Gehenna
  Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
  Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
  Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
  Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
  30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

We are super excited with sinking our claws into Gehenna War, the brand new 162 page sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade focused on the conflict with the same name. From the back cover, these are its contents:
• An overview of the Gehenna War and its impact on the Kindred sects
• 7 Methuselahs active in the Gehenna War
• Rules for creating action-focused characters for action chronicles
• New combat options and equipment
• Player- and Storyteller-focused overview of action chronicles
• 14 distinct factions fighting in the Gehenna War
• 4 pre-written stories to drop into any chronicle
• Advice for using Bestial Failures and Messy Criticals in any chronicle
• 3 Loresheets
• 9 new Advantages and Flaws
• 19 new Discipline Powers, Rituals, Ceremonies, and Formulae

This is some really juicy stuff for Storytellers out there, not to mention for card game design in the future. And look at that gorgeous cover illustration by VTES artist Mark Kelly!

Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news! (The episode of August 30 discusses the Gehenna War book thoroughly.)

CALENDAR

Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia
Brazil x16
Chile
Czech Republic
Germany
Greece
Finland
France
Italy x2
Mexico
Philippines
Poland x7
Portugal
Spain x9
UK
USA x2

For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.

Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!

CONTACT VEKN

You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.

Are you afraid of the good you might do?

Danilo Torrisi, European Champion 2024.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF VAMPIRE: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE CONTINUES

… and the EC 2024 was one of the peaks in the celebration! We would love to return to you within shortly with details about how these events played out, but for now we can say this:

Week of Nightmares 1: Winner Jorge Delgado (Spain)
Week of Nightmares 2: Winner Tommi Hakomaa (Finland)
Week of Nightmares 3: Winner Tero Aalto (Finland)
EC Friday tournament: Winner Marius Iscru (France)
EC Day 1: Winner Simone Parmeggiani (Italy)
European Grand Prix 2023-2024 final: Winner Sebastian Fredenberg (Sweden)
EC Sunday tournament: Winner Michał Kochanowski (Poland)
EC Day 2: Winner Danilo Torrisi (Italy) – congratulations Danilo, the new and returning European champion!

We hope to return with a winner interview in the next newsletter, and more photos by Marko Saari!

 
WELCOME TO EC 2025 IN DENMARK!

A message from Jesper Bøje, VEKN National Coordinator of Denmark:

Dear Methuselahs,

I am excited to announce that Aarhus, Denmark, has been chosen to host the European Championship (EC) in 2025! Preparations are already underway, with scouting for locations, gathering volunteers, planning a thrilling week of events, and seeking sponsors.

With this year’s EC reaching full capacity, I am confident we can make 2025 an even greater success.

In the coming months, I’ll be reaching out to players, Princes, National Coordinators, and stores to explore what it will take to bring players to Denmark. While not every idea may be feasible, I want to hear them all. What would it take for you and your playgroup to attend EC2025?

The Championship is scheduled for October 17th-19th, 2025. For now, you can visit vtes-ec2025.org, where you’ll find the most basic information. The website will be updated with registration, information and more as we get to spring 2025.

I hope to see you all in 2025 – whether at the EC itself or at the tournaments leading up to it!

Best regards,
Jesper Bøje

JOSÉ ROBERIO BARBOSA DA SILVA IS THE SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPION 2024!

This event was played on September 7 in Campina Grande, Brazil with 41 players.

Read the full report: SAC 2024

 
ALEXANDER TÜSCHEN IS THE 2024 GERMAN CHAMPION!

The German championship gathered 32 Methuselahs in Darmstadt-Arheilgen on September 7.

Read the full report: German Championship 2024

RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: THESSALONIKI

Some words from Babis Giannios, VEKN National Coordinator of Greece:

Dear reader! Our demo event is over and as an organiser I'm more than elated with how things went in a city where the VTES scene was dead. Twelve people showed up – 11 of them new to the game and 1 of them a veteran. Due to personal reasons, 6 people cancelled their attendance beforehand.

We had an awesome time going on with 2 preliminary rounds and a final. The entire event took us roughly 7 hours, and we all felt excited in the end, wishing for more!

We have established our VTES gaming nights, and the store has pledged to offer us a “Gaming Saturday” each month for a local tournament -as well as a hanging place to play VTES.

Needless to say that the store almost sold out every item they had, as the players excitedly proceeded in purchasing precon decks and other VTES packs.

In a nutshell, it was a blast, marking this as my first successful organised event! Thanks to VEKN and Black Chantry so much for everything! Looking forward for more games!

Kind regards,
Babis Giannios

 
WALBERT IBARRA WINS TWILIGHT CAMP 2!

This tournament was played in El Tabo, Chile on August 31 with 40 players. It is not a national or continental championship, but it had high attendance, so we are happy to highlight it here!

Read the full report: Twilight Camp 2

RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: GIJÓN

Words by Daniel Méndez Carreño, VEKN Prince of Gijón:

CometCon 2024: Breaking the Masquerade in Gijón

CometCon 2024, held on September 6, 7 and 8 at the Luis Adaro Fairgrounds in Gijón, was an event that attracted thousands of enthusiasts of alternative culture and leisure. Although an exact number of attendees is not available, it is estimated that participation was massive, consolidating CometCon as one of the most important events of its kind in Spain.

However, among the shadows of the pavilions and the echoes of laughter and conversations, something darker was brewing. The breaking of the Masquerade was underway, and the Kindred of the night gathered in secret, hidden in plain sight among mortals.

One of the highlights of the event was the area dedicated to board games. The AsturMeeple association managed to gather 2 050 players, a number that resonated like a whisper in the night, attracting those who seek power and intrigue. This success was possible thanks to the support of numerous publishers who provided materials for the games, enriching the experience for attendees. Black Chantry played a crucial role in ensuring the presence of VTES, a reflection of the power struggles between the vampire clans.

Throughout the event, tournaments, raffles, demonstrations, and game activities were held, attracting a large number of players and curious onlookers. The younger Kindred, still learning to handle their disciplines, mingled with the elders, sharing strategies and secrets in an atmosphere charged with tension and mystery. The Methuselahs, ever watchful, sought among the mortals for potential candidates to strengthen their clans, carefully evaluating those who showed potential and cunning. In every glance and every gesture, the Eternal Struggle for power and survival was palpable.

In summary, CometCon 2024 was not only a success in terms of attendance and organization but also significantly contributed to the growth of the VTES community. Although only 16 newblood formally joined the Bastion of the North, ”dozens have tasted the flavor of the foreign pool” and will return, drawn by the promise of power and the Eternal Struggle for dominance.

CometCon 2024 has once again proven to be an essential event for lovers of alternative culture and the perfect showcase for VTES, where the line between reality and fiction blurs, and the Masquerade threatens to break at any moment.

RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: BRATISLAVA

Martin Dudik of Slovakia send us these pics from a recent demo he did in Bratislava. He created these beautiful rollup banners with the help of Black Chantry. He uses a rebuilt Fifth Edition box set for decks and components, handy to immediately recommend people to buy it if they like the game. Three games were run at this occation, but two more are planned in the near future. Great work Martin!

Do you also want to run demo games? Talk to !

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: SEPTEMBER 2024

• Four out of five Black Chantry ghouls attended the European Championship in Warsaw. Yes, you guessed correctly, it was the European ghouls Ginés, Hugh, Henrik and Vincent who spread their questionable celebrity presence in the Polish capital, and of course this was a pure delight, this 30th Anniversary year! Hugh helped judge tournaments while the others failed miserably to win games.

• The fifth ghoul, Ben Peal, instead attended the South American Championship in Campina Grande, Brazil, which you can read about above in this newsletter. He enjoyed this very much! Listen to his smooth voice in these two interviews: Garagem do Nerd TV and Blood Faca VTES

• When you read this you might already sunk your claws into the Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck – the official release date is October 31, so the official legality date for the new cards is November 30.

• In other printing news is that another batch of the Banu Haqim, Brujah, Gangrel and Ministry preconstructed decks is being printed, on the shelves in December.

• Promo Pack 3 and Shadows of Berlin are now totally out of stock and will not be printed for stores again, but appear for print on demand in the future.

• Draft is coming back to VTES! Black Chantry has given VEKN National Coordinators the chance of testing a print-on-demand draft kit for 8-10 players. Are you interested in testing this experience, talk to your National Coordinator.

• The first round of playtesting of four 2025 Fifth Edition Sabbat preconstructed decks has concluded. Thanks to all that tested and the playtest coordinators! Now the design team will analyse grades and comments and prepare the next round of testing.

• The last art and final text editing is being done for the Hecata preconstructed dec. Then it´s off to the printer - the aim is to have it in stores in January.

• The five 54-card New Blood packs for Hecata, Lasombra, Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce is also almost ready for print.

• More old legacy single cards for print-on-demand will hopefully be up before Christmas shopping is over – Dementation and Temporis stuff have priority.

• The 2-player VTES variant is still on hold for now.

• Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucards.com and other stores:
Lost Kindred bundle
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1
Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1
Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2
Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
Anthology I bundle
VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
25th Anniversary
First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
VTES card sleeves
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
Echoes of Gehenna
Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)
Fifth Edition: Lasombra (Also Spanish, French) (UPCOMING!)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

When this is written, the World of Darkness crew over at Paradox are almost through their annual "Month of Darkness" October reveal-and-content extravaganza. It´s one thing every day for a month, so you have to check out the whole thing at their site, but so far our favourite pick is In Memoriam for Vampire: The Masquerade. This sourcebook steps up the game a bit from the "street level" neonate style of the original setting, to ancillae level - that is the 100-200 year old almost-elders that have seized power in many cities in the absence of the true elders now whisked away by The Beckoning.

The official content blurb:
• Dive into and take part in Kindred history through flashback with expanded Memoriam rules.
• Craft Ancilla Characters with enriched rules designed for advanced play.
• Consolidated and Streamlined Memoriam Rules featuring new variations and advanced rules for deeper character development.
• New Lore, Resources & Plotlines surrounding 11 mortal eras and 8 pivotal Kindred events.
• Six New Loresheets that link characters to significant historical moments.
• Learn more about integrating Memoriam rules into your existing stories and how to tie your characters to older events

Sounds awesome, don´t you think?

Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!

CALENDAR

Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia
Brazil x21
Croatia
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Greece x2
Hungary
Italy x2
Netherlands
Online x2
Philippines x2
Poland
Serbia
Spain x10
Sweden
USA x10

For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.

Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!

CONTACT VEKN

You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.

Greetings fellow Methuselahs,

THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF VAMPIRE: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE CONTINUES

On August 16 1994 the first edition of the game we all love was released - that is 30 years ago. So it´s time to bake your cakes and sabre up the champagne!

The VEKN and Black Chantry Productions continue the celebration after the just released 30th Anniversary set with various activities. Next up among products is the long-awaited Fifth Edition Lasombra preconstructed deck, available in the beginning of October. The art above is from the crypt card Aintzane Arriaga from that deck. We once again welcome back Francisco Tébar as an illustrator - great work again!

The Lasombra deck features the discipline Oblivion. This is how it is described in the Fifth Edition Vampire: The Masquerade Players Guide:

"Few Kindred outside Clan Lasombra and the Hecata know the Discipline of Oblivion, and as far as the Camarilla is concerned, this is a good thing. While the Lasombra favor the Discipline’s raw power, the more necromantically inclined Hecata explore its ritual uses. With this power, vampires wield the very stuff of shadows and unlife as weapons. Some call the power’s source the Abyss, while other practitioners refer to it as the Labyrinth. The one certainty is Oblivion channels the darkest arts, from where the dead go to die.
   The masters of Oblivion call upon it to wreathe themselves in night, enslave spectres, or throttle victims with their own shadow. Each time they use it, wielders run the risk of losing their soul and Humanity to something darker than death and twice as hungry."

More previews are coming - follow Black Chantry Productions in social media.

PRE-REGISTRATION FOR EC 2024 IS OPEN!

If you plan to attend the European Championship in Warsaw, Poland, on September 27-29, please preregister. It helps the organisers a lot to know more about the number of attendees beforehand. This year it is the 30th anniversary of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, so the VEKN and Black Chantry promise to make this event something special!

Register at ec.vtes.club

Info is at tinyurl.com/vtes2024

TEEMU SAINOMAA WINS GRAND PRIX HELSINKI 2024!

The annual Ropecon game fair hosted Grand Prix Helsinki on July 20.

Read the full report: Grand Prix Helsinki 2024

WHO WINS THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX?

Of course, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is all about you having fun playing cards, but some players also like to test their strength against other players in tournaments. Apart from continental championships, national championships and all kinds of local tournaments and leagues, there are also Grand Prix series in Europe, North and South America.

The European Grand Prix circuit 2023-2024 is now coming to a close. It has been a total attendance of 260 in five tournaments in Italy, Portugal, France, Denmark and Finland. Below are the current standings. The top five players are invited to the prestigious final to be played in Warsaw, Poland in late September:

 
AXEL HUET IS THE 2024 CHAMPION OF BELGIUM!

This tournament, won by a very interesting deck, was played in Mechelen on July 21.

Read the full report: Belgium 2024

CLEMENT LANGENHOVEN IS THE 2024 CHAMPION OF SOUTH AFRICA!

This event was played on July 6 - check out the VERY cool winning deck!

Read the full report: South Africa 2024

IBERIAN ASSOCIATION DEDICATED TO VTES CREATED!

In an exciting move for fans of the card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, a group of enthusiastic players led by Arnau Díez, the national coordinator for Spain, have taken a significant step by forming the first association dedicated to fostering and promoting the game in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands. The association, “Cónclave Ibérico: Association of Friends of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle”; abbreviated as CI, has the primary goal of promoting the game and supporting the community. CI takes over from the former association, Cónclave Hispánico, and expands its scope of activities. It will support the management of promotional materials, provide assistance to tournament organizers, and facilitate relations with local administrations to request spaces for hosting tournaments, among other activities.

The association offers two types of membership. The basic membership includes an exclusive annual gift and discounts on tournaments sponsored by the Cónclave, such as those of the Spanish leagues. The extended membership, in addition to the benefits of the basic membership, offers a copy of each promotional card distributed nationally from the moment of registration.

The news of the creation of CI has been received with great enthusiasm by players and princes in Spain, and it already has 200 members. The association has an Instagram profile (@conclave_iberico_vtes) and a website (www.vtes.es).

The membership card and first gift promo cards:

RECRUITMENT EXERCISE: GRAN CANARIA

On July 18-20 Guille Mondragón hosted VTES promotional events on Summer Con in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Even though the convertion had less visitors than expected, a number of curious potential Methuselahs where explained the game, some sitting down and actually trying, some shown more concise. Promo cards were handed out, as well as contact information for local play groups and stores.

On July 21, there also was a small tournament, won by Iván Arenas (first grey shirt from the left below). Congratulations Iván!

Big thanks to Guille for doing this - you are a real VTES hero! Are you who read this also interested in doing demo games? Black Chantry can help, reach out to !

BLACK CHANTRY SUMMARY: JULY 2024

• The 30th Anniversary had its offical release on July 20, and should be available in your favorite store. The new cards in the set will be legal for tournament play on August 19.

• Next up is the Lasombra preconstructed deck, hopefully making a sneak premiere on October 3 at the Spiel game fair in Essen, Germany, and in stores soon after that. There new Lasombra will have the new discipline Oblivion instead of the old Obtenebration. The deck will have a political theme.

• After that, later in Q4, its time for a Hecata preconstructed deck, also with Oblivion. These cards needed a fourth round of playtesting, ongoing right now, until the end of August. Also included in the testing is cards for 56-card New Blood packs for Hecata, Lasombra, Ravnos, Salubri and Tzimisce that also will appear late 2024 or early 2025 dependent on playtest and printing schedule.

• Design of four Sabbat-themed preconstructed decks moves on, hopefully soon ready for a first round of playtesting.

• More old legacy single cards for print-on-demand and the 2-player VTES variant are on hold for now.

Currently these Black Chantry products are available through Gamepod, Drivethrucards.com and other stores:

• Lost Kindred bundle
  Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 1
  Keepers of Tradition Reprint Bundle 2
  Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 1
  Heirs of the Blood Reprint Bundle 2
  Den of Fiends Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Libertine Ball Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Pact with Nephandi Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Parliament of Shadows Preconstructed Deck (Also Spanish, French)
  Anthology I bundle
  VTES Card Creator (Drivethrucards only)
  25th Anniversary
  First Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French)
  First Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French)
  VTES Legacy Card Singles (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
  Promo Pack 1 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
  Promo Pack 2 (Drivethrucards and Gamepod only)
  Promo Pack 3 (For promotion only)
  Promo Pack 4 (For promotion only)
  VTES "Parity Shift" playmat
  VTES card sleeves
  Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition (Stores only)
  Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Latin (Drivethrucards only)
  Fifth Edition: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Promo Pack 3 (Event promos only)
  Fifth Edition: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Brujah (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Fifth Edition: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Malkavian (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Nosferatu (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Toreador (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Tremere (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  New Blood: Ventrue (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  The Fall of London (Also Spanish, French, Latin)
  Echoes of Gehenna
  Shadows of Berlin (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: Banu Haqim (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: Brujah (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: Gangrel (Also Spanish, French)
  New Blood: The Ministry (Also Spanish, French)
  Fifth Edition: Ravnos (Also Spanish, French)
  Fifth Edition: Salubri (Also Spanish, French)
  Fifth Edition: Tzimisce (Also Spanish, French)
  30th Anniversary (Also Spanish, French)

Do you have opinions or questions for Black Chantry? Start a topic on the VEKN forum, or contact the company by e-mail, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

RECENT NEWS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS

The choice-driven RPG thriller Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Purgatory is available now on Steam, GOG, Epic Store, Switch, Playstation, Xbox, and iOS. If you are curious, have a look at the official trailer or the two-part playthrough with Huddy.

Subscribe to the World of Darkness News show for more news!

CALENDAR

Upcoming tournaments for the coming month (registered so far) are in:
Australia x3
Brazil x19
Chile
Finland
Ireland
Italy x2
Norway
Philippines
Poland x5
South Africa
Spain x4
Sweden
Switzerland
UK
USA x6

For details about these events, see the VEKN Event Calendar.

Remember: Online tournaments are possible - just check the box "Online tournament" when you add the event to the calendar!

CONTACT VEKN

You can contact the VEKN Inner Circle members using contact forms at VEKN.net. Also follow the official VTES Facebook page Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, the official VEKN X (Twitter) account @VEKN_VTES and the official VTES Discord server.

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.